The Vaccines

Vaccine Types

Parents know they want to protect their child from disease, but it can be hard to keep track of all the different vaccines and the diseases they prevent. Vaccines do such a great job of preventing diseases that it’s easy to forget what life was like before vaccines, what vaccine-preventable diseases look like, and how easily they can spread.

In this section you will learn about:

Each recommended vaccine and the disease(s) it protects against

How each disease is spread

Symptoms and effects of infection

How the choice to vaccinate is already making an impact on lowering disease rates

Rubella

Tetanus

Tetanus (Lockjaw) is a bacterial infection that affects the nervous system and causes painful tightening of the muscles all over the body. It is spread through contact with contaminated surfaces. [+] more

Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

Pertussis (Whooping Cough) is a highly contagious bacterial respiratory disease. Pertussis causes violent coughing spells that make it hard to eat, drink or breathe, and is especially severe in young infants. [+] more

Chickenpox

Varicella (Chickenpox) is a highly contagious viral infection characterized by a blistering rash that can cover the entire body. Complications include skin infections, pneumonia and brain swelling. [+] more

Hib

HPV

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted virus in the United States. About 40 types of HPV can infect the genital areas of males and females. A few types can lead to cervical and other cancers. [+] more